Criminal justice reform will be a big topic in the legislative session, and a statewide poll finds broad support for some proposals. Jeff Palermo has more from the survey out of LSU…
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Legislation to stop the opioid epidemic has been filed for the upcoming session with the support of Governor Edwards’. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Most Louisianans support criminal justice reform, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. According to the poll from the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, 75 percent of voters support shorter sentences for non-violent crimes. But Dr. Michael Henderson says they asked respondents about particular offenses like fraud, burglary or selling illegal drugs and support for shorter sentences drops. He says this finding could shape the debate in the legislative session.
Governor John Bel Edwards plans to push criminal justice reform in the legislative session that begins next week. Henderson says their survey found a big difference between blacks and whites over the fairness of the criminal justice system. Henderson says 71 percent of black respondents say the system is not fair, only 44 percent of white respondents agree.
Henderson says another interesting point from the survey is that 65 percent of respondents say crime has increased over the past five years. That’s a 10-percent increase from the last time they asked this question. But he says the overall crime rates don’t line up with public opinion about crime rates.
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As part of Governor John Bel Edwards legislative agenda for the upcoming session, a bill has been filed to help address the growing opioid epidemic in Louisiana. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot co-authored the measure and says the legislation would limit first time opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a seven day supply.
Talbot says this measure would only apply to acute pain, not chronic pain, cancer or individuals on palliative care. He says the Bayou State has more opioid prescriptions than people in the state and once doctors cut them off, addicts turn to harder drugs.
Another measure filed by Talbot to tackle the opioid problem is modeled after a Texas law that the lawmaker says has done a great job getting injured people back to work and off opioid medications. He says this is a bigger problem than many think.
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As cleanup and recovery continues in areas that were pelted with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes earlier this week, some communities are still keeping a close eye on rivers that have yet to crest. Stephen Carboni with the National Weather Service says parts of Central Louisiana experienced as much as 10 inches of rain during the event…:
Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy called called Sunday’s storms “a Gustav-level event.” Carboni says there are homes and businesses in several historically flood-prone areas that should monitor river forecasts…:
Carboni says there is some good news. He says unlike some of the weather events that caused devastating flooding in 2016, this was a quick downpour and the forecast over the next several days looks decent…:
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A man who gunned down and murdered his longtime-partner and prominent business woman in Northwest Louisiana will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Caddo Assistant DA Brittney Green says a jury found 59-year-old Mark Colby guilty of second degree murder in the death of 53-year-old Angela Godley…:
Godley was found dead in the laundry room at the couple’s Shreve Island home on September 10, 2014. Green says the incident rocked the community as the victim was a well known restaurant owner and former cardiac care nurse…:
Green says on the night of the murder, something went wrong between the two after a night out that resulted in Colby taking a .45 handgun and shooting the victim 5 times, including 4 in he back. She says Colby had a violent history…: